OLYMPIA, Wash.-Illuminet and Columbia Spectrum Management said they are helping small personal communications services providers clear spectrum using Columbia Spectrum’s services. PCS license winners must relocate microwave systems that currently occupy spectrum allocated to PCS by the Federal Communications Commission.
According to the agreement, Columbia Spectrum will assist providers with relocation plan development, cost and engineering analysis, incumbent analysis and interface, negotiations, new microwave licensing, relocation and testing, and equipment removal.
“We are very pleased to be working with Columbia Spectrum, a company that has helped many major PCS providers, including A and B block winners, effectively clear spectrum,” said Roger Moore, Illuminet president and chief executive officer. “Now small PCS providers can receive these services at volume rates, which will help them remain competitive with larger players.”
Service extended in 2 Indian states
SEATTLE-AT&T Wireless Services Inc., through its joint venture in India, Birla-AT&T Communications Ltd., will make cellular service available to residents of Gujarat and Maharashtra, two of India’s largest and most economically developed states, the company said.
Birla-AT&T Communications was awarded cellular licenses late last year. The company said it hopes to build India’s largest cellular network over the next 10 years, serving one million customers in the two states. Service, offered under the AT&T brand name, will be available by early next month.
Birla-AT&T Communications Ltd. is a joint venture between AT&T and the Aditya V. Birla Group.
Alltel to purchase Alabama markets
LITTLE ROCK, Ark.-Alltel Corp. said it will purchase Alabama rural service areas 4 and 6 from Frontier Cellular Corp. The properties, which adjoin current Alltel Mobile Communications’ properties, are located in the southeast portion of the state.
The acquisition, which is subject to regulatory approval, would increase Alltel’s customer base 2.4 percent to 8.4 million.
Alltel will purchase a 70 percent interest in Southeast Cellular of Alabama, the partnership which owns the properties, giving Alltel complete ownership. Alltel previously purchased the balance of the partnership from Castleberry Cellular Inc. and Millry Investment Corp.
Ameritech to use satellite technology
AKRON, Ohio-Ameritech Mobile Communications Inc. said it will use SpaceCom Systems’ FM Cubed digital satellite transmission technology to make Ameritech’s Ohio paging operations compatible with Motorola Inc.’s FLEX protocol. The new technology, which will replace the FM Squared analog satellite technology Ameritech has used for five years, will increase transmission speeds from 2,400 bits per second to 9,600 bps, and potential future capability of 512,000 bps.
“We had to get over to FM Cubed to get synchronous transmission, so now we are synchronous from end-to-end-from the paging switch through the satellite that talks to the controller-which then drives the paging transmitter,” said Glen Sparks of Ameritech. He said the transition from FM Squared to FM Cubed will be completed by next month.
Nokia wins deal for GSM in China
HELSINKI, Finland-Nokia Corp. won a contract valued at $35 million to expand a Global System for Mobile communications network in Jiangxi, a province in southern China. The expansion will increase the system’s capacity to 160,000 subscribers.
Nokia will supply switches and base stations as well as an operations and maintenance center for the system, which began service earlier this year.
The company said it has accumulated contracts to supply GSM systems in the region valued at a total of $170 million.
Poseidon software used in rollouts
SILVER SPRING, Md.-Five of the first six personal communications services deployments in the United States used Poseidon software, claimed manufacturer Radio Dynamics Corp. Poseidon is an engineering software package that identifies and resolves conflicts between planned PCS installations and incumbent microwave paths. The systems using the product include Western PCS in Hawaii, Salt Lake City, and Albuquerque, N.M., and BellSouth Mobility DCS in North and South Carolina and eastern Tennessee, the company said.
Sema will provide platform to AT&T
LONDON-Sema Group Telecoms said it will provide an enhanced messaging services platform for AT&T Wireless Services Inc.’s two-way messaging and digital personal communications services networks. Deliveries have already begun with an over-the-air activation module, and services will be rolled out next year, the company said.
The messaging platform is based on Sema’s SMS2000 short messaging application. “SMS2000 is already in use around the world including a PCS 1900 network in the United States but this will be our first implementation in the [Interim Standard] 41 Wireless Intelligent Network architecture,” said Robin Williams of Sema Group.
Sema and AT&T are founding members of the personal Air Communications Technology vendor forum, which promotes the open two-way wireless messaging protocol.
New call center to serve six states
CHICAGO-Ameritech Cellular and Paging, a division of Ameritech Corp., said it will open a new call center in Elgin, Ill. to meet the demands for cellular and paging services in Ameritech’s six-state region. The center will bring 400 new jobs to Elgin, the company said. The center, which is scheduled to open in mid-1997, is one of four major call centers, servicing 2.2 million cellular and one million paging customers in 24 metropolitan markets.
